Thailand is gravely concerned about the dire situation in the Middle East, precipitated by Israeli and U.S. attacks and followed by retaliation by Iran, with ongoing attacks threatening to escalate tensions in the region and beyond.

The situation poses serious threats to the lives and safety of innocent civilians in the neighboring countries in the region, as well as outside of the region, including Thai nationals. Most recently, the situation also threatens to impact freedom of navigation, as a vessel under the Thai flag was hit in the Strait of Hormuz with 23 Thai crew members on board. In such challenging times, respect for the Charter of the United Nations and principles of international law, such as the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, becomes imperative.

Thailand calls on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint and immediately de-escalate tensions and return to dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations in order to prevent the situation from escalating further and undermining not only regional, but also global peace and stability.